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The structure of pumice by neutron diffraction
Author(s) -
Floriano M. A.,
Venezia A. M.,
Deganello G.,
Svensson E. C.,
Root J. H.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of applied crystallography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.429
H-Index - 162
ISSN - 1600-5767
DOI - 10.1107/s0021889893008568
Subject(s) - pumice , neutron diffraction , materials science , small angle neutron scattering , neutron scattering , scattering , amorphous solid , reverse monte carlo , porosity , aluminium , aluminosilicate , neutron , crystallography , mineralogy , chemistry , optics , composite material , crystal structure , physics , catalysis , nuclear physics , geology , biochemistry , volcano , seismology
Small‐angle neutron scattering (SANS) and wide‐angle neutron scattering (WANS) measurements on pumice, an amorphous natural aluminosilicate used as support for metals in the preparation of catalysts, are reported. The SANS spectrum indicates the presence of a broad size distribution of pores and the absence of volume fractality. Surface fractality, however, cannot be ruled out. The structure of pumice, suggested by the pair‐correlation function derived from the WANS spectrum and simulated by a random‐network structure model, is very similar to that of vitreous silica, consisting mainly of SiO 4− 4 tetrahedra interconnected by bridging O atoms with additional local disorder generated by the replacement, on average, of one in ten Si atoms by aluminium.